Compression test gage for journal box lubricating pads



p 1966 "r. w. POTTER 3,274,823

COMPRESSION TEST GAGE FOR JOURNAL BOX LUBRICATING PADS Filed May 7, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IFlE'n-I ....m||H\llumllllllWI HNVENTEHQ THUR/1A5 VV- PEITTEQ ATTURNE Sept. 27, 1966 T. w. POTTER 3,274,823

COMPRESSION TEST GAGE FOR JOURNAL BOX LUBRICATING PADS Filed May 7, 1964 3 SheetsSheet 2 HNVENTUR TH D MAS BUTTER T'T D'RNEY Sept. 27, 1966 T. w. POTTER 3,274,823

COMPRESSION TEST GAGE FOR JOURNAL BOX LUBRICATING PADS Filed May 7, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IEI 5-: 4

EN V ENTER THE MAS W. P EJTTER United States Patent ()fifice 3,274,823 Patented Sept. 27, 1966 3,274,823 COMPRESSION TEST GAGE FOR LIGURNAL BOX LUBRIQCATING PADS Thomas W. Potter, Chicago, Ill, assignor to Journal Box Servicing Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed May 7, 1964, Ser. No. 365,771 8 tjlaims. (Cl. 73-94) This invention relates to a device for pretesting railway vehicle journal box lubricating pads as a means for determining whether or not the pad, resting on the fioor of the journal box, will be under a predetermined degree of pressure around the underside of the journal.

It is essential that the lubricating pad bear against the underside of the journal throughout the length of the pad so that the lubrication is properly distributed therealong.

It has been found that some pads will have a thicker central zone than is the thickness of the end zones, one to either side of that central zone. The device has a simulated under side of a journal in three adjacent longitudinally aligned sections each independently rockable upwardly by a lubricating pad placed on a concave pan of one length and simulating the fioor of a journal box. It is the purpose of the device to indicate the pressure of. the pad against the bottom of the simulated journal in all of its three sections when the simulated floor is moved a predetermined distance toward the journal sections.

It has become a prractice to employ premanufactured lubricating pads to be placed in the journal box under the journal to supersede the earlier use of a mass of yarn commonly called waste. The lubricator pads are generally made of a foamed rubber covered with cotton ducking with loops of chenille yarn fixed thereto usually covering the cover completely therearound. The pads, after having been soaked in oil are placed in the journal box in position under the journal, following which a small amount of extra oil is added.

After usage of the lubricating pad in the journal, for a predetermined length of time, the pad will be withdrawn and preferably put through a renovating or cleaning process so as to remove all of the accumulations of solids and congealed greases, following which the pad is ready for reuse and reoiling. The present gaging device of this invention is intended to gage both new and used pads.

The invention comprises a simulated journal box floor which is vertically shit-table. Over the floor there is placed a simulated journal, divided into three longitudinal sections, the center section being longer than the other sections. The simulated journal is rockable, and when rocked from a normal position, will set up an electrical circuit. A go signal actuated thereby, when the simulated journal is raised to a predetermined stop, and a second signal no go will be energized when the journal is dropped to a lower stop.

The device is operated by placing a pad on the simulated journal box floor; pressing that pad against the underside of the simulated journal with sufiicient pressure to lift up that journal to actuate the go signal, and then dropping the simulated journal box floor back to a spacing between it and the underside of the journal equal to the maximum distance in the real journal box and the real journal, and then noting the signals, a green signal indicating that there is contact with sufiicient pressure of the pad against the simulated journal to indicate a passable journal pad.

The primary object of the invention has been set out above in the summary of the invention, and other objects such as the simplicity of the gaging mechanism, the certainty of its indicating the true situation in respect to usability of a journal lubricating pad, and the relatively low cos-t of the mechanism.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art, in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in partial section, in rear elevation of a device embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the inventive structure in partial section;

FIG. 3 is a detail in transverse section on the line 3-3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in top plan of the structure; and

FIG. 5 is an operating diagram of the electrical circuits.

Referring to the several views in the drawings, the invention preferably has a base designated generally by the numeral 10 which in turn supports an. upper housing generally designated by the numeral 11.

The upper housing 11 is provided with a plurality of transversely, fixed extending bars 12, 13, 14 and 15. The lateral spacing between the bars 12 and 13 is substantially equal to the spacing between the bars 14 and 15. The spacing between the bars 13 and 14 exceeds that of either one of these two end spacings. For gaging lubricators to be employed on either a five inch by nine inch or five and one-half inch by ten inch journal, the central spacing between the bars 13 and 14 would be approximately four inches and the spacing between the bars 12, 13 and the bars 14, 15 would be two and one-half inches. The transverse thickness of each of the bars would be one quarter of one inch. For larger journals, this spacing between the bars 13 and 14 would be approximately four and three-quarter inches, and the spacing between the bars 12, 13 and 14, 15 would be three and five-eighths inches. This spacing would take care of lubricator pads intended to be used on six inches by eleven inches and six and one-half inches by twelve inches journal sizes. It is to be noted that in either case, the spacings would take care of two different lengths of lubricator pads for journals varying one-half inches in diameter. Toward common ends of the bars 12, 13, 14, and 15, there is carried therethrough a rod 16. Toward the opposite ends of these same bars, there are a pair of rods 17 and 18 passed through the bars. The rods 16, 17, and 18 are spaced apart one from the other to permit centering between the side walls 19 and 20 of semicircular sections which are to simulate a journal by their undersides.

Each of these sections has the same radius of curvatures, and a common end 24 encircling the rod 16, FIGS. 1 and 4. This encirclement is made to be sufiicient about the rod 16 in each case so as to permit the different sections 21, 22, and 23 to freely hinge for rocking about the rod 16.

The opposite sides of these three sections 21, 22 and 23 each terminates in an outwardly extending lip 25 which extends between the rods 17 and 16, FIG. 1. These rods 17 and 18 are spaced apart sufficiently to permit substantially vertical travel of this lip 25 a distance therebetween, but this travel is limited to that required to move a switch tongue 26 from a switch 27 to effect an electrical circuit in which the switch is embodied in either the lowermost position as indicated in FIG. 1 or in the uppermost position when the lip 25 is bearing against the rod 17.

The sections 21, 22, and 23 are spaced laterally between the housing sides 19 and 20 to have a central point in each instance thereof on an axis which if extended will be perpendicular to the axis of a piston 28 carried by a cylinder 29 and capable of being vertically shifted. The cylinder 29 is fixed to the top 30 of the base member 10 and extends down within the base as indicated in FIG. 1.

The upper end of the piston 28 is fixed in any suitable manner, herein shown as by engaging a member 31 afiixed centrally to the underside of a semicircular floor member 32. This floor member 32 is a simulation of the floor of a journal box. For the five and five and one-half inch journals, the curvature of this floor 32 would have a substantially four and seven-sixteenths inches radius. This fioor 32 will have its upper edge portions 33 and 34 in sliding contact with the insides of the walls 19 and 20. In other words, the floor 32 which may more aptly be termed a pan as will be employed hereafter, is raised and lowered by travel of the piston 28.

A collar 35 is carried by the piston 28 to be slidable therealong, and selectively fixed in any position by means of a screw 36. A fluid conduit or pipe 37 is connected to the cylinder 29, herein shown, FIG. 1 as at the lower end thereof, and in turn is connected to a control valve 38 operated by the handle 39. From the valve 38, there would be a conduit (not shown) leading to a pressurized source of the fluid. The fluid medium may be air or oil, as examples.

A piston return stop member designated by the numeral 40 is generally U-shaped, terminating by oppositely and outwardly flaring ears 41 and 42. This member will engage at least half of the circumference of the piston 28, and serve as a stop for downward travel of the piston 28. The collar 35 may be adjusted along the piston 28 to determine the desired lowermost level of the pan 32 as may be desired. To remove the member 40 from the path of the collar 35, there is provided a stem 43 fixed to the member 40, and slidably passing through a bearing 44 to extend outside of the upper housing 11, and preferably through an outboard bearing 45. Outside of the bearing 45, there is a fixed operating handle of some sort, herein shown as the straight bar 46. Preferably there is a coil spring 47 interposed between the member 40 and the bearing 44 to yieldingly urge the member 40 into contact with the piston 28. As indicated in FIG. 2, this spring 47 encircles the stem 43.

Referring to FIG. 5, a simple circuit is employed, and its source of energy is preferably a battery 48 carried by the base 10 in a housing 49, FIGS. 1 and 4. The battery 48 is grounded from one terminal as at 50, and the other terminal is interconnected to a main circuit controlling switch 51. The switch 51 when closed conducts the current from the battery 48 through a second switch 27 normally in closed position, and from which leads the wire 52 to a lamp 53 in turn through the wire 54 to the ground 55. This would be the normal condition of the circuit when the switch 51 is closed and there is either no pad resting on the pan 32, or on the pan 32 when the pad is lifted by travel of the piston 28 up against the three sections 21, 22, and 23 or when no pressure is exerted on any one of those three sections. For simplification of the drawing, so as not to confuse the actual structure embodied in the invention, an illustration of the pad is not herein shown since it is of a commercial construction being sold on the market.

Now going back to the operation of the device so as to better explain the action of the overall electrical circuit, a pad is placed on the pan 32, by sliding it from over the forwardly end projection 56 of the pan 32 which extends through an opening in the wall 19 so as to facilitate the mounting of the pad. This pad is placed back on the pan 32 to a position that will center it between the housing walls 19 and 20, a mark on the pan 32 (mark not being shown) may be employed so that the operator may readily position the pad accordingly. The valve 38 is opened by the handle 39 to allow the cylinder 29 to be pressurized, so as to lift the piston 28 and carry the pad up against the undersides of these simulated journal sections 21, 22, and 23. This pressure is sufficient to have a pad in contact with all three of those sections, so that they will be rocked to have the lip 25 push up on the switch tongue 26 in each instance, and this will be reflected by the circuit then deenergizing the red lamp, and energizing the green lamp 57.

The circuit then prevailing, FIG. 5, would be such that all three of the switches 27, 27a and 2719 are disconnected from the line 52, and close a circuit through the leads 58 and 59 to the wire 60 to the green lamp 5'7, and from that to the ground 61. Thus no current can flow to the lamp 53 and only the green lamp 57 will be illuminated.

Following the initial squeeze action of the pad against the three journal sections 21, 22, and 23, pressure will be allowed to drop in the cylinder 29 by manipulating the valve handle 39, until the piston 28 drops to bring the preset collar 35 down to rest on top of the spacing member 40.

The collar 35 is positioned to rest on the member 40 when the vertical distance between the lowest part of the pan 32 and the lowest parts of said sections 21, 22, and 23 equals the distance prescribed by specification or the Manual of Standard Practices, which distance would be comparable to the distance between the actual journal box floor and the actual journal. In this position, for the five inch journal, a spacing between the undersides of the sections 21, 22 and 23 and the topside of the pan 32, centrally and vertically measured should be three and three-eighths inches which is the normal spacing of the actual journal box floor from the actual journal thereabove. For the five and one-half inch journal, this spacing would be substantially the same. Now the pad having had this initial compression and then allowed to be dropped to that required spacing, should have a comeback sufficient to lift all three of the sections, providing the resiliency of the pad is that as predetermined. In this regard, the weight of the central section 22 is substantially two pounds, and the weight of each of the sections 21 and 23 is one-half pound. Thus it would take a two pound pressure to push up the central section and a half pound pressure to lift the two end sections. When this pressure is applied to each of the sections accordingly, then the circuit is that just above described in reference to the energization of the green light. If the pressure is not sufiicient as it sometimes is in pushing up either one of the end sections 21 and 23, then the green light does not become energized. Likewise if for some reason, the pressure of the central part of the pad to lift the central section 22 is not sufiicient to lift the section 22, still there will be no green indication. This of course is accomplished by the switching of the switches 27, 27a and 27b to and from the leads 58, 59 and the wire 60. In the absence of the energization of the green lamp 57 even if two of the switches 27, 27a and 2711 be shifted for that indication, there will still be current flowing to the red lamp 53, which will continue to show red until all three switches are actuated from the red part of the circuit.

To release the pad from the contact with the simulated journal sections 21, 22 and 23, the handle 46 is pulled outwardly to allow the piston 28 to drop, whereupon the pad may be withdrawn from the pan 32.

It is essential that there be the contact of the end portions of the pad when in actual usage with the actual journal, and hence the test for this condition is made in this gaging device. For the six inch journals, the spacing between the floor of the pan 32 and the undersides of the sections 21, 22 and 23, is made to be such when the collar 35 is properly adjusted along the piston 28 to rest on the member 40, in which position the spacing will be three and one-half inches. Thus a predetermined pressure is automatically obtained when the pan 32 drops back to the set position as determined by the positioning of the collar 40 on the piston 28.

It is therefore to be seen that the operator of the gaging device has a practically foolproof method in which all he has to do is to watch the two signal lamps 53 and 57 after he has inserted the pad, turned the valve handle 39 to apply the initial pressure on the pad, and then return the handle 39 to the cylinder bleeding position to allow the pan to drop down to the predetermined spacing between it and the simulated journal surfaces. If the light 57 continues to remain on (this lamp showing when the top pressure has been applied) and the red light 53 does not come on, the member 40 may be withdrawn to drop the pan sufficiently to permit removal of the pad. Of course the pad not causing the red light 53 to come on when that preset spacing between this pan and the journal section indicates a satisfactory pad. It is to be emphasized, that a pad to be acceptable must have the bearing against the actual journal by its end portions in addition to the central portion. This determination of the pressure throughout the end portions as well as in the central portion can not be determined were the simulated journal in one piece instead of the three sections employed in this invention.

It should be noted that the initial compression of the pad by the pan 32 before that pressure is released to permit the pan 32 to drop back to the predetermined spacing between it and the simulated journal, there must be a stop employed to limit the upward travel of the edges 33 and 34 of the pan 32 so that only the predetermined maximum pressure is had in squeezing the pad initially. In the present form of the invention, while many other stop devices may be employed, the upper edges 33 and 34 will contact the undersides of the bars 12, 13, 14 and 15.

Therefore while I have described my invention in the one particular form as now best known to me, it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to this precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for gaging uniform length resiliency of a journal lubricating pad to be carried in a journal box, comprising a simulated journal side having separate end to end arcuate surfaces normally in alignment to form an overall surface matching that of the journal side simulated;

means carrying said sections to be individually shiftable transversely of the axis of their curvature;

an arcuate pan having a curvature matching that of a journal box floor;

means shifting said pan toward and away from said sections;

stops limiting travel of said sections toward and away from said pan;

electric circuit means including a source of electrical energy;

a plurality of switches, one for each of said journal sections and actuated by a predetermined distance of travel of the sections in each of two directions;

a signal in said circuit means energized only when all of said switches are actuated by common travel of the sections in one direction as determined by a lubricating pad being held against all of those sections upon said pan being spaced a predetermined distance from the sections; and

a second signal in said circuit means energized when one or more of said switches are reversely actuated upon failure of one or more of those sections being shifted by said pad.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which there are stop means limiting travel of said pan to a predetermined distance away from said sections in their said normal alignment; and

a second stop means limiting travel of the pan toward said sections to a minimum distance less than said predetermined spacing of the pan from the sections.

3. The structure of claim 2, in which said sections are each separately biased to require predetermined pressures against each to overcome said biasing.

4. The structure of claim 2, in which said sections comprise two end, equal length sections separated by an intermediate section of greater longitudinal length than that of the end sections;

said three sections being normally free to drop individually under the influence of gravity to one of said 5 section stops; and

each of said sections having a constant weight per lineal unit of length.

5. A gaging device for determining the resiliency of a journal box pad for lubricating a journal extending therein, comprising a housing;

a rod extending across the housing near its upper end to one side thereof;

a plurality of end to end approximately half round sections, each having a curvature equivalent to that of a journal to which said pad is to be applied and each hinged by one common side portion to said rod, the convex side being undermost;

a pair of vertically spaced apart rods extending across said housing adjacent the opposite housing side;

a lip on each of said sections extending between and being free to move up and down between said pair of rods;

a switch carried by said housing for each of said lips and each having an actuating member extending therefrom into the path of said lip;

a simulated journal box floor pan having an upper concave surface substantially the same as that of the actual floor;

30 a cylinder extending vertically of the housing;

a piston extending from the cylinder and connected by its upper end centrally of the underside of said simulated floor;

said piston being lifted in said cylinder by admittance thereto of a pressurized fluid;

stop means in the path of said simulated floor limiting upward travel to a predetermined distance;

stop means limiting downward returning travel;

a go signal and a no-go signal; and

an electric circuit including said switches and said signals, energizing the go signal when all of said sections are in their uppermost positions, deenergizing that signal and energizing the no-go signal when any one or all of said sections are in their lower positions.

6. The structure of claim 5, in which said stop means comprises a collar selectively shiftable and fixed along said piston; and

a member carried by said housing in the path of said collar.

7. The structure of claim 6, in which said member is shiftable into and out of the path of said collar;

means biasing said member into said path; and

means overcoming said biasing means to remove the member from that path.

8. The structure of claim 7, in which said sections are three in number, arranged to have an intermediate section of a length twice that of each of the other sections;

the weight of the intermediate section being approximately two pounds, and the weight of each of the other sections being approximately one-half pound each; and

said collar being positioned to rest on said member when the vertical distance between the lowest part of said pan and the lowest parts of said sections equals the standard prescribed distance between the actual journal box floor and the actual journal.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,886,047 11/1932 Ritscher 20988 X RICHARD C. QUEISSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR GAGING UNIFORM LENGTH RESILIENCY OF A JOURNAL LUBRICATING PAD TO BE CARRIED IN A JOURNAL BOX, COMPRISING A SIMULATED JOURNAL SIDE HAVING SEPARATE END TO END ARCUATE SURFACES NORMALLY IN ALIGNMENT TO FORM AN OVERALL SURFACE MATCHING THAT OF THE JOURNAL SIDE SIMULATED; MEANS CARRYING SAID SECTIONS TO BE INDIVIDUALLY SHIFTABLE TRANSVERSELY OF THE AXIS OF THEIR CURVATURE; AN ARCUATE PAN HAVING A CURVATURE MATCHING THAT OF A JOURNAL BOX FLOOR; MEANS SHIFTING SAID PAN TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID SECTIONS; STOPS LIMITING TRAVEL OF SAID SECTIONS TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID PAN; ELECTRIC CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY; A PLURALITY OF SWITCHES, ONE FOR EACH OF SAID JOURNAL SECTIONS AND ACTUATED BY A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE OF TRAVEL OF THE SECTIONS IN EACH OF TWO DIRECTIONS; A SIGNAL IN SAID CIRCUIT MEANS ENERGIZED ONLY WHEN ALL OF SAID SWITCHES ARE ACTUATED BY COMMON TRAVEL OF THE SECTIONS IN ONE DIRECTION AS DETERMINED BY A LUBRICATING PAD BEING HELD AGAINST ALL OF THOSE SECTIONS UPON SAID PAN BEING SPACED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM THE SECTIONS; AND A SECOND SIGNAL IN SAID CIRCUIT MEANS ENERGIZED WHEN ONE OR MORE OF SAID SWITCHES ARE REVERSELY ACTUATED UPON FAILURE OF ONE OR MORE OF THOSE SECTIONS BEING SHIFTED BY SAID PAD. 